Women's Tennis Falls to Drew, 5-4

BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's tennis team dropped its 2012 Landmark Conference opening match Wednesday, falling to Drew University, 5-4, at Hoffman Courts as the Greyhounds had a 4-3 lead heading in the final two singles matches.

The match was Moravian's first at home this spring, and the first time that the Greyhounds had played a match since a trip to the PTR Spring TennisFest in Hilton Head, South Carolina three weeks ago.

The Greyhounds, the defending Landmark Conference champion, earned the first team point with an 8-2 win at second doubles from sophomore Erica Venuti and freshman Carly Agrifolio, and Moravian would lead 2-1 after the doubles were complete as junior Chelsea Ott and sophomore Katie Zien earned an 8-6 win at first doubles.  Senior Brianna Kavanagh and sophomore Olivia Sonnabend forced the third doubles match an extra game before falling, 9-7.

Ott won a 6-1, 6-1 decision at first singles while Agrifolio and Kavanagh fell in straight sets to tie the team score at 3-3.  Moravian moved in front, 4-3, when Zien posted a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win at third singles. Sonnabend had a three-set match at sixth singles, falling 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), to tie the match at 4-4. Venuti was the last player on the court and ended dropping straight sets but both went to tiebreakers as she fell 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-4).

Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Saturday, March 31 in a Landmark Conference match at The Catholic University of America that is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.